Greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels' indirect land use change are uncertain but may be much greater than previously estimated
Abstract
The life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions induced by increased biofuel consumption are highly uncertain: individual estimates vary from each other and each has a wide intrinsic error band. Using a reduced-form model, we estimated that the bounding range for emissions from indirect land-use change (ILUC) from US corn ethanol expansion was 10 to 340 g CO(2) MJ(-1). Considering various probability distributions to model parameters, the broadest 95% central interval, i.e., between the 2.5 and 97.5%ile values, ranged from 21 to 142 g CO(2)e MJ(-1). ILUC emissions from US corn ethanol expansion thus range from small, but not negligible, to several times greater than the life cycle emissions of gasoline. The ILUC emissions estimates of 30 g CO(2) MJ(-1) for the California Air Resources Board and 34 g CO(2)e MJ(-1) by USEPA (for 2022) are at the low end of the plausible range. The lack of data and understanding (epistemic uncertainty) prevents convergence of judgment on a central value for ILUC emissions. The complexity of the global system being modeled suggests that this range is unlikely to narrow substantially in the near future. Fuel policies that require narrow bounds around point estimates of life cycle GHG emissions are thus incompatible with current and anticipated modeling capabilities. Alternative policies that address the risks associated with uncertainty are more likely to achieve GHG reductions.
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Negative environmental impacts due to an increase in land demand for biomass production include more greenhouse gas emissions due to indirect land-use changes.
“On the environmental sustainability aspect, there will also be negative environmental impacts due to the increase in land demand for biomass production, including more greenhouse gas emissions (responsible for global warming) due to indirect landuse changes (e.g., deforestation for growing energy crops [Plevin et al., 2010]).”
From Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective (2021) · cites this paper as Plevin et al., 2010
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- Authors
- Plevin, R. J., Jones, A. D., Torn, M. S., & Gibbs, H. K.
- Affiliations
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- Corresponding author
- Plevin, Richard J.
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2010-10-13
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 21
- Pages
- 8015-8021
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2034149162
- Cited by
- 443
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 58 · 2012: 49
- FWCI
- 44.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies
- Keywords
- indirect land use change, biofuels, corn ethanol, life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, uncertainty, epistemic uncertainty, fuel policy, California Air Resources Board, USEPA, gasoline comparison
- MeSH terms
- Air Pollutants, Air Pollution, Ethanol, Zea mays, Models, Chemical, Greenhouse Effect, Uncertainty, Biofuels
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